


Alive at Night

by Astral_Bees



Category: I Am Not Okay With This (Comics), I Am Not Okay with This (TV 2020)
Genre: Bi Stan, F/F, Like, TY, and by that i mean syd is the slayer, and this is the product of that brainrot, background stan and ricky, bi dina, but pls do not associate this with joss whedon or sophia lillis, but still, even tho it doesnt have any buffy characters in it, general trigger warnings for violence and injury and stuff like that, i love buffy too much, its causing brainrot, its not well written violence, just pls if you're sensitive to that i just want you to be safe, lesbian syd, sydina, they are indeed boyfs, this is kinda buffyverse, uhhh, wlw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:53:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 20,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25279570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astral_Bees/pseuds/Astral_Bees
Summary: Sydney Novak has had a lot of shit happen in her life. Her dad died, she moved to the middle of nowhere, and she's the chosen one, the vampire slayer
Relationships: Dina/Sydney Novak
Comments: 5
Kudos: 21





	1. Dear Diary, Fuck Being the Chosen One

**Author's Note:**

> hey! i already finished writing all of the chapters to this so i'll probably be posting every week or so, maybe sooner. it all depends on how impatient i get

Her dad died and it seemed like that had been the end of her normal life. It kind of was. Because even though Syd knew that her dad dying had nothing to do with her current predicament, it sure felt like he was the reason she was the new slayer. In reality, it was just weird happenstance that led to her dad and the old slayer dying in the same week. For a sixteen-year-old though? It felt like a curse more than coincidence.

Everything had changed in mere moments and her world felt like it was spinning in the wrong direction. First her dad, then becoming the slayer, and then moving to shitsville USA. Syd was nearly positive there wasn’t anything worse than all of that.

But a year of being the slayer and trying to come to terms with your fate, made her realize that any situation could get worse if you gave it the time. And the dreams were getting worse.

-

Westinghouse wasn’t the worst school, but Syd wasn’t necessarily stoked to be going back. She stared up at the building looming in front of her and found herself wondering if it would be so bad if the hellmouth swallowed her whole. The thought didn’t last long. It was interrupted by the flurry of thoughts that swirled around her head the second she caught sight of Dina. The one reason Westinghouse didn’t suck to the highest order.

Syd made her way over to Dina, letting a crooked smile find its way onto her face.

“Hey, you ready?” she asked, nodding over at the entrance to the school.

Dina grinned and looped her arm through Syd’s.

“With you I am.”

There was already a bustle of people inside the hall, ushering themselves to their respective classes. Syd pulled her arm away from Dina’s, unsure why she suddenly felt so self-conscious.

The noise in the hallway was a lot. Thankfully, it wasn’t nearly as bad in their first class of the day.

Their teacher droned on and on about something that Syd couldn’t be bothered with. Instead, she found her attention drifting back to Dina. It wasn’t until she noticed Brad glance over at her that she focused on her desk. A moment later he leaned over in his desk and she could hear Ricky Berry laugh. God, if only she could slay them. Unfortunately, they were human. Or at least as close to human as two assholes could get.

Her other classes were fine enough, though the ones with Dina were always the easiest to get through. But school wasn’t done for her. She trudged through the hall, headed straight for Ms. Cappriotti’s office. Syd still wasn’t quite sure how she had managed to swing the counselor as her watcher, but there she was. Yippee.

The office was empty, which was both unusual and expected. Ms. Cappriotti tried to be there as often as she could be, but sometimes she just left Syd a note when it was a typical night. Which was exactly what it was. A regular patrol night.

Syd shifted her backpack, sliding it off her shoulders and setting it on the ground. She grabbed a few extra stakes and a small cross, shoving them inside before heading back for the door.

The cemetery wasn’t far from the school.

Thankfully, it also wasn’t that far from where her mom worked. The diner was slower, but it wasn’t empty. Maggie Novak came out from the kitchen carrying two trays and noticed her daughter by the entrance. Taking care of her customers quickly, Maggie walked over to Syd.

“Good, you’re here. I need you to take Liam home. It’s a long story, but I have to cover a shift. Ok?”

Annoyance started bubbling up inside Syd. She had known that she would probably have to take Liam home, but she had things she needed to take care of. The anger simmered for a moment and flared again. It was always there. At least it had always been there since…

Syd blinked, trying to pull herself back to the moment. She nodded and found Liam sitting at the counter.

“C’mon, Goob.”

The walk home was quiet. Liam was quiet. It was weird.

Syd nudged him lightly and smiled when he looked over at her. He looked okay, maybe a little worried. Still, something felt off.

“You ok kiddo?”

Liam kicked a pebble in front of him as they walked. He offered up a brief shrug and turned towards her, stopping completely.

“It’s Richard Reynard.”

“Oh yeah? What happened?” There it was again. That anger.

“He’s a jerk,” Liam shifted slightly on his feet. “He punched this one kid in my class, and I think I might be next.”

“Shit, really?”

“Yeah…”

Simmer, anger, simmer.

“Hey, guess what.”

He looked up at Syd, waiting for whatever would come next. There was definitely worry in his eyes, she could tell now.

“Richard Reynard will have to go through me first. And I don’t give up so easy.”

A smile lit up his face and she realized that that was exactly what she had been striving for. Plus, it was true. If Richard Reynard wanted to pick on Liam, he would have to deal with her. He may not be a vampire and she may not be able to slay him, at least not without serious repercussions, but she could protect her brother.

Syd dropped Liam off at home a few minutes before sunset began to take hold of the sky. She hurried back to the cemetery, sneakers thudding against the ground. The rhythmic pounding of her shoes matched the pulse of her heart.

Soon enough the headstones came into view. Syd found a tree by the newest grave and sat with her back against it. Her eyes remained trained on the tombstone, but she listened for any other possible danger. Within a few minutes, the newly turned vampire emerged from the ground. Syd jumped to her feet, stake in hand.

The vampire leapt at her, forcing her to roll with his force. They tumbled a bit and once they had stopped, she tried to get on top of him.

He threw Syd off of him the second she tried to gain the upper hand and she landed on the ground with a solid thud. He approached quickly, trying to get to her while she was still on her back. But it didn’t take her long to get back on her feet.

The two circled each other as they waited for an opening. And then Syd saw her chance. She jumped forward, kicking out with her feet. She collided with his chest and he fell backwards. Moments later, she knelt on top of him and plunged her stake into his heart. Brushing the dust off her sweater, Syd stood back up and grabbed her bag.

The rest of the night was quiet. It didn’t seem like there were too many creatures of the night out to play. And amidst the quiet, Syd didn’t notice the person watching her from the shadows.


	2. Dear Diary, When Did This Become Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A student has turned up dead and uh oh, looks like Syd is the only one with the proper skill set to deal with the killer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for death
> 
> here's chapter 2!! i probably won't stick to waiting that long between updates because i get kinda antsy. so, these chapters may start getting posted pretty close together

A familiar face flashed in front of her eyes. Someone she knew. Their hand shot out, wrapping around her neck. And suddenly Syd couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t breathe. This was it. This was how she would die. With someone she knew choking her. But no. Now their face was getting closer, coming nearer and nearer still. They opened their mouth for her to see the jagged edges of their sharpened teeth right before they bit down.

A flash of pain ran down Syd’s neck as she sat up. Her eyes finally opened, and she saw that she was just in her room. Alone. It was a dream. Another fucking dream. They’d been plaguing her of late, keeping her from being able to get any proper rest. And she still had no clue what it was all leading up to.

Sure, she got caught and then she died. But what about the rest of it? And who the hell killed her every time? She was certain it was the same person, but she could never remember who by the time she woke up. Being the slayer really wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. It was just fighting and surviving, and Syd was pretty sure there might not be much surviving left. Not if her dreams were going to come true, at least.

But she didn’t have time to think about her possibly impending doom. She had school.

The walk was fine, and her mom hadn’t said anything about her staying out late the night before, so everything was ok. Or ok enough. Maybe her mom hadn’t noticed her missing from the house. Hopefully.

Dina was waiting on a bench as Syd got closer to school and when they spotted each other, the two linked up as they had the day before. It was them against the world. Well, to Syd it was. She’d never really thought to ask Dina how she felt about them. Or maybe she had just been too scared to. Still, they were a team. She just wished she didn’t have to keep things a secret from Dina. Like being a slayer.

Finding out she was a slayer had been hard, monumentally so. But meeting Dina and knowing she would have to keep that from her? That had proven to be harder. It made her want to shrivel up whenever she had to lie about where she was. Syd wished there had been someone else that could have been the slayer, or that the old one hadn’t died. Maybe if she had been a little older when she found out. Maybe if her dad had still been around. Maybe if… Fuck. Maybes couldn’t help her now.

But Dina was still right there. Right next to her. And even though she couldn’t tell her, Syd still had Dina and Dina still had Syd.

Almost the second Syd walked through the door of her second class, her name was called over the loudspeaker. She was wanted in the guidance counselor’s office. Go figure.

She pulled herself out of her seat and down the hall, ignoring the eyes that followed her movements. Syd was practically invisible, but not fully. Unfortunately. Rounding the corner, she found herself at the door leading to Ms. Cappriotti's office.

“Hey, what happened?”

Ms. Cappriotti looked up at Syd in the doorway and slid a book across the desk. Syd walked over and took the open seat. She scanned the page, reading over the details.

“Are you alright with me telling you about what happened?” Ms. Cappriotti was all worried eyes and nervous energy. It made getting the information from her last so much longer.

“Yeah, I can handle it.” 

“A student was found in the gym late last night by the janitor. She was… Well, she had been mutilated.”

“Oh,” Syd finally looked up at Ms. Cappriotti.

It wasn’t like mutilations were uncommon, but that didn’t make them any easier. None of it got easier. It was all death. And Syd? Wasn’t the best at dealing with it.

Ms. Cappriotti gave a slight nod and gestured to the book in front of Syd.

“I think this might be our demon.”

“Demon? Shit. Uh, this Beast Bringer? Wow, inventive name.”

“He seems the most likely given the state of the body. You’ll have to cut his head off to kill him, but be careful about his beasts. They can be killed the same way, they just pose an extra threat.”

Syd nodded, staring down at the drawing of the Beast Bringer again. This was her life. This had been her life for a year. Taking down demons with names ranging anywhere from Balthazar to Beast Bringer. It was so much fun.

“I’ll keep an eye out for him. Do I need to go now or are you sending me out after school?”

“Oh! No, please go about your classes as you normally do. The Beast Bringer has a similar taste for the night as vampires do.”

“Ok, I’ll let you know when he’s gone,” Syd said as she stood and left.

Dina asked her to go to the diner after school, but Syd had to decline. She had to find the Beast Bringer. Oh, how glorious her life continued to be.

Her mom didn’t need her help with Liam for once, so Syd hurried home on her own to get the supplies she needed. However, as she headed back, she saw someone gesturing to her. They weren’t screaming, so she was fairly certain they weren’t in trouble. Still, Syd made her way over to where they were.

“I, uh, I thought maybe I should say hi. We’re kinda neighbors and I see you going back and forth a lot, but I’m Stan.”

Syd stared at him for a second before nodding.

“Nice to meet you Stan. I kind of have to be somewhere though.”

“Right, of course. Do you need a ride?”

“Not really. Thanks for the offer.”

Stan ducked his head in a simple nod and pointed back at his house. “I’m always available.”

Syd turned back towards her house, going to grab what she needed. After grabbing the biggest blade she could reasonably fit in her backpack, Syd hurried back out to find where the Beast Bringer could be hiding.

She decided on checking the school gym first, since that was where the last victim had been found. Tucking her backpack under the bleachers, she sat down. Maybe she could be bait. At least then she didn’t have to go searching, the demon would just come to her. Though she knew she could only do that for about a half an hour before things got dicey. If she missed out on killing the demon now, there would only be more victims.

The blade she’d brought with her was gripped tightly in her hand behind her back when she first heard the noise. It was an odd rumbling coming the boys’ locker room. Fun.

Syd sat for a moment longer, before slipping off the bleachers and heading to see what the sound was. She opened the door quietly, inching inside without making too much noise. Hopefully quiet enough to remain undetected.

A bit further off, Syd could hear the rumbling mixed with the sound of running water. Oh great, it was coming from the showers.

Taking a deep breath, Syd forced herself to go towards the sound. She peered around the corner into the showers and saw… Well, she assumed it was the Beast Bringer. He certainly resembled the drawing from Ms. Cappriotti’s book. It looked like it was only him, but he was doing something.

Getting closer, Syd saw that he was writing something on the shower floor as the water pooled nearer. Some sort of symbol. It didn’t look familiar and Syd certainly wasn’t the one to ask about ancient demonic symbols. She was the one you asked to make sure the demon wasn’t alive to finish the symbol. And so, that was exactly what she was going to do.

Syd moved carefully, slowly around to the opening of the showers. She didn’t need to be seen so early in the fight. Hell, if she could manage to avoid being spotted there wouldn’t be a fight. Her steps were light, her eyes flicking between the demon and the water. The last thing she needed was to slip and fall.

There was enough noise to make it so she didn’t have to be completely silent. The Beast Bringer continued with his symbol, unaware that he wasn’t alone anymore.

Each movement Syd made was practiced, until it wasn’t.

Her foot slid out from beneath her and she flopped onto her back. The Beast Bringer turned just as she managed to move onto her stomach. Syd grabbed at the ground, trying to pull herself away from the demon’s grasp. As she wriggled, she felt a large hand wrap around her ankle. The Beast Bringer pulled her to him, but Syd managed to grab her blade as he did. She held it tightly in her hands as he finally picked her up and studied her.

“The slayer, I presume.”

“Slayer?” Syd asked, curiously.

He let out a low laugh and moved her even closer to his face.

“You’re an interesting one, now. Aren’t yo-”

Syd swung out with all her might as he spoke, connecting her blade with his neck. The Beast Bringer dropped her from his grip as his head slid clean off his body. The rest of him slackened and fell to the ground soon after his head.

Rubbing her head, Syd managed to stand up. A bit shaky on her feet, she turned to leave. As she left the scene behind, the demon’s body turned to sludge. Whatever he had intended to do, he wouldn’t be able to accomplish it.

Just another normal day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! have a great day!! :)


	3. Dear Diary, Where's the Hellmouth when You Need it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone wants the slayer... alive? Oh, and Dina has some... fun... news

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have a nice day! hope you enjoy :)

It was pitch black when Syd woke up. Sweat soaked her shirt as she tried to orient herself with her surroundings. Another night, another nightmare. If only she could remember the monster’s face that kept killing her. Figure out what the fuck was actually going to happen to her. But that wasn’t likely. The dream faded every time she woke up.

She wasn’t going back to sleep. Not yet, at least. Not with all that adrenaline running through her. So, Syd pulled a few stakes out of her backpack and stuck them in the pockets of her hoodie. She would be going for a nighttime stroll.

Syd snatched a flashlight from her house before heading out after deciding the streetlights probably wouldn’t be enough. She knew they wouldn’t if she went all the way to the cemetery.

Nothing seemed to be happening as she wandered down the street. Pretty much all of Brownsville would be asleep at that hour. And what wasn’t asleep, was probably on her hit list. It was all so very still. She wished her mind could be so quiet.

A rattling sounded from her right, drawing her attention away from her thoughts. Syd stalked over to the noise, trying not to alert whatever was there. But she gave up on being sneaky when she saw what it was. A raccoon in a trashcan. It was probably the most she would see all night. Or at least that’s what she was thinking.

And then another noise caught her attention further in the distance. One that wasn’t quite so easily blamed on raccoons. It was a human scream.

Picking up her pace, Syd ran towards whoever it was. She had to save them. She had to get there in time. No one deserved to die that way. No one deserved to lose someone they cared about. She slipped a stake into her hand as she ran, hoping she could get there in time.

She halted in her tracks when she finally got to the source of the scream. It was too late. The person was already slumped on the asphalt and the vampire looked pretty pleased with themselves.

There it was again. The anger. Boiling just a little more over the surface.

Syd brandished her stake and ran at the vampire, moving to stab them in the chest. They lurched out of her path before she could kill them. She fell forward a bit from her momentum, but they grabbed her from behind and pulled her back. Syd struggled as they leaned forward.

“Oh, you’ll be a nice present. He’ll be very pleased with me,” The vampires voice felt oily in her ear.

“Who will be pleased?”

The vampire kneed Syd in the back, and she let out a cry of pain.

“Shut up, whelp!”

“No, I don’t think I will.”

Syd rammed her elbow into their sternum, whirling around to face them once she escaped their grip. She didn’t give them any time to recover, plunging the stake deep into their chest. The vampire turned to dust. Certain she was in the clear, Syd checked the victim to see if they were really dead. To her surprise, she felt a faint pulse underneath her fingers.

She picked the victim up and turned in the direction of the hospital. Sometimes it paid having more strength than the average person.

At the hospital, Syd explained that she saw them get attacked by some large animal and how it ran off when it heard her coming. Then she got out of there as soon as she could. She had to get home and get some more sleep if she could manage. Still, as she walked, she couldn’t help but think of what the vampire had said. Who the fuck wanted her? Actually, scratch that. Who the fuck wanted her alive?

-

The morning came all too quickly. Especially since Syd had barely been able to get any extra sleep.

School passed slowly and there were moments where Syd was convinced she would fall asleep in the middle of class. Somehow, she managed to keep herself awake. Meeting up with Ms. Cappriotti after school provided her with words of thanks and some encouragement for her patrol. However, she had no clue what the vampire might have been talking about when they tried to trap Syd. It was all still a great, big grey area.

There was time to kill between school and her patrol, so Syd was pretty eager to agree when Dina asked if she wanted to hang out.

The two walked to the diner together in near silence. Dina seemed excited. Syd wasn’t sure why, but she was ready to find out. So, as they slid into opposite sides of a booth, she watched Dina and waited for her to talk. Whatever it was, it had to be good. Right?

“Ok, so obviously you know Bradley Lewis.”

Syd blinked in surprise for a moment. She hadn’t expected Bradley Lewis to be the opener for the conversation. Moving past her slight shock, Syd nodded and forced a small smile onto her face.

“Well, we kind of bumped into each other a couple days ago and I don’t know, we got to talking. And he, uh, he asked me to homecoming.”

An anxious laugh escaped Syd as she fiddled with the milkshake in front of her. She was waiting for Dina to start laughing too, to say Brad was a dick and she had turned him down. But she had stopped talking altogether.

“Wait- and you said yes?”

The anger, the anger, the anger.

Dina smiled and looked out the window for a second before looking back at Syd.

“No, I told him to leave me alone,” she paused for a moment and then let out a soft laugh. “Yeah, of course I said yes.”

“Oh.”

It would be a great time for the hellmouth to open and swallow her whole. But it didn’t. Syd was still sitting in a booth in the diner where her mom worked listening to her best friend talk about some asshole.

Suddenly a patrol night sounded great. She could do something about the anger and the… hurt?

But in that exact moment, she just had to grin and bear it. She couldn’t risk losing Dina. Not to some jerk like Brad. It was the two of them against the world and she had to do everything she could to keep it that way. Syd swallowed whatever negative thoughts kept popping up.

“I mean, that’s great.” She tried to keep her voice from sounding strained.

It didn’t really matter if her voice came out strained though, because Dina was too wrapped up in her own thoughts. She started talking again and Syd folded in on herself.


	4. Dear Diary, Maybe I'm Not So Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stan and Syd get to hang out a little bit more. Also, what the fuck is up with the vampires?

“Get the fuck off of me!” Syd’s voice rang out in the night as she struggled against the vampire.

“Not likely. I need to take you with me.”

She squirmed, trying to kick out. Her foot connected slightly with the vampire’s shin, but it was enough to give her a chance. Spinning out of their grip, Syd slammed them back into a tree and pressed a stake against their chest.

“Why do you need to take me?”

The vampire smirked. “I can’t kill you. He needs you alive. He needs her alive too.”

“Who?” Syd pushed closer, trying to be more threatening.

The smirk turned to a grin as the vampire pushed forward, purposefully staking themselves.

“Fuck!”

Syd brushed the dust off of her and stared at where the vampire had just been. More questions and still no answers. What the fuck could they be planning? And what would someone need her alive for? Ms. Cappriotti hadn’t had a clue when Syd had asked what could be going on. They were both in the dark. And if the vampires kept self-destructing, they would stay that way.

A twig snapped behind Syd and she whirled to face it, stake at the ready. But when she registered what it was, she pulled her stake away as quickly as possible.

“Holy shit!”

Fuck.

Syd hurried out of the cemetery, Stan following closely behind.

“What the fuck just happened? That guy exploded… or disintegrated!”

She stopped and turned to him. What was she supposed to say? Hi, we haven’t talked much, but I kill vampires for a living. She wasn’t supposed to let people know about her being a slayer. And here Stan was, blowing her cover. Which was just great.

“Uh, it was a practice dummy that just kind of popped?” Her voice shook a bit at the end.

“Practice dummies don’t talk.”

The anger. Swirling anger. And fear.

“You can’t tell a soul! You do and we’re both fucked. Ok? You have to promise not to tell.”

Stan stood still, backing up a little.

“Promise! You have to promise!” The anger was crackling through her voice now.

“Alright! I-I promise.”

Syd nodded and looked at him for a moment longer before taking off. She ran as quickly as she could, not bothering to look back. This was it. She was screwed. Unbelievably and undeniably screwed.

Her heart pounded in her ears as she tried to get home. It hit her halfway there that she lived near Stan and she went to school with him and she would have to deal with what happened. This would be far from the end of everything. Realistically she already knew that, but the truth of it made it all the worse. For a split second she considered going to Dina’s to at least put some distance between she and Stan. It wasn’t a good idea though, not with the Brad news. Not with the possibility of Brad actually being there. So, she just kept running.

-

Ms. Cappriotti was absolutely no help at all. She was just more worry. There was nothing to gain from any of her books and she had no clue what could be happening. For someone who’s whole specialty was vampires, she certainly didn’t know how to figure out their plans.

Syd tugged on the cuff of her jacket as she listened to Ms. Cappriotti ramble about ideas. It was all just possible end of the world vagueness. No clear answers about why. And she was scared.

“Do you want me to come along on your patrols?” Ms. Cappriotti’s words broke through the haze of her thoughts.

“No, I can handle it. Really, I’m all good on my own. You just keep trying to crack the case,” her words came out in a rush and she offered up a tense smile. The last thing Syd wanted was a watchdog that she would have to protect.

The guidance counselor smiled and let Syd get back to her day. It would be a while before the sun set, but Syd was ok with waiting. She wanted to take a breather and think on her own about what could be happening. There was no way she was going to be able to understand the vampires plan with Ms. Cappriotti breathing down her neck.

Sitting on a bench off school grounds, Syd saw the last person she wanted to. Stanley Barber. And he was making his way over to her.

As he got closer to her, he put his hands up in mock surrender. So, he definitely hadn’t forgotten the night before. Shit. Syd had been banking on him rationalizing what had happened like most of the people did. She just happened to be on an unlucky streak.

“Hey, so, I wanted to talk to you about last night.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. I told you, it was just a practice dummy.”

“Uh, yeah, sure. Do you need any help with practice dummies?”

“What?” Any attention that hadn’t been on Stan, suddenly shifted immediately over to him. Was he messing with her or was he just overall clueless?

“I can help. Probably. I mean, I want to help.”

He smiled at her, eyes soft and excited. Clueless it was. There was no way he could be serious and understand what he was asking. Maybe there was a way out of this.

“Fine, you can meet me at the cemetery at sundown. But you can’t get in my way. Ok?”

Stan nodded, the dopey grin still on his face. He gave two thumbs up and walked off. Hopefully, things wouldn’t go wrong later. Hopefully, Syd wouldn’t be responsible for another one of her classmates dying.

She tried to find Dina before she had to go on patrol, but no such luck. Probably with Brad. It was fine if Dina was with Brad, it was completely and utterly fine. It was so fine in fact that Syd was looking forward to killing some vampires. Her life just kept getting worse and worse. 

The cemetery was dead when she arrived. Could Stan be a no-show? Her hopes lifted minutely before she heard footsteps behind her. Checking to see who it was proved her assumption correct. Stan stood in front of her holding a baseball bat. So, she would be babysitting after all. But maybe the bat could come in handy for the night ahead of her.

“I thought I should bring something for protection. Is this ok?” He motioned with the bat as he spoke.

“Typically, I work with stakes, but it might help.”

“Right! That makes sense,” Stan paused for a moment and then looked back at Syd with surprise. “Was that guy a fucking vampire?”

Oh joy. He wasn’t rationalizing what had happened at all, he was putting the dots together even more. Well, it wasn’t like there was any point in continuing lying to him. Stan already knew what she needed to keep secret.

“Yeah, that’s kinda the whole reason we’re out here,” Syd gestured to the cemetery grounds all around them.

“Oh.”

She nodded, about to add to the conversation when something gave her pause. Syd lurched forward and pushed Stan to the ground, tackling a vampire in the process. The two rolled across the grass, both struggling to take control of the situation. Stan scrambled to his feet, looking for his bat. Meanwhile, Syd gained the advantage. She straddled the vampire and reached for the stake tucked into her jacket. But her hand came back empty.

Seizing the opportunity from Syd’s confusion, the vampire rolled her onto her back. Syd flailed beneath the vampire’s hold, desperately searching for her stake. It must have fallen out of her pocket at some point, but where was it. She needed to find it fast. Especially since this vamp seemed like they hadn’t gotten the memo on not killing her.

Their fangs had just about scraped her neck when they let out a sound of pain. Syd’s brows furrowed as she looked up at her attacker right as they turned to dust. Once their remains had dissipated from the air, Syd realized she was now looking up at Stan. Who was holding a stake in one hand. Maybe she didn’t need to babysit him. Maybe this whole ordeal could even be positive.

He offered his hand to her and Syd took it with a tentative smile. Stan’s eyes remained widened even after she had gotten back up.

“Did I just do that? Am I dreaming?”

A bark of a laugh bubbled past Syd’s lips.

“God, I wish. But, uh, no.” A moment passed. “And thanks for saving my skin.”

“You’re welcome, but I had kind of just meant to hand the stake to you.”

“Then why the fuck did you stake it?”

“It was an accident? But on purpose.” Stan looked as confused as she felt.

“That’s the opposite of what an accident is.”

He shrugged, handing the stake back to her. They stood, stuck in their own heads before Syd started to laugh. It wasn’t long before Stan joined her. Soon enough the two were cracking up in the middle of the cemetery.

“Well thanks, nonetheless. Even if it was an accident.” Another wave of laughter rippled through her.

It wasn’t so bad having Stan around. Actually, it was kind of nice.


	5. Dear Diary, You Can't Save Everyone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a new demon in town and Syd has a little more help this time in the form of one Stanley Barber
> 
> tw: death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> totally meant to post this yesterday, but then i completely blanked! so, here it is now... also, the demon in this chapter is one that i repurposed from an original piece of fiction i'm working on

Stan was like a sidekick. Or at least that’s what he insisted on saying any time he was involved with slaying. A week of him being ever-present and he was still acting like Syd was some sort of superhero. She liked having another friend, but being the slayer was far from being a superhero. Superheroes were revered. They didn’t have to hide in the shadows.

Still, it was good having someone around to help out. And to be there with her. Stan had gotten pretty good at reading through Ms. Cappriotti’s books to see if anything sounded familiar when a demon popped up. Though they had both quickly learned that Stan had only had beginner’s luck when he staked that first vampire. It was best if he stayed on the sidelines. Otherwise, well, things could easily get messy.

A clock ticked dully in the background as Syd flipped through the pages of an old book. Once again, something was killing the good old residents of Brownsville, Pennsylvania. Something that didn’t seem to be following a specific pattern or even keeping a specific shape.

Leaning on a table, Stan looked over at Syd. It was quiet in the bowling alley, which made sense since it was technically supposed to be closed. The two had decided to take up residence in it to try and figure out what Syd was going up against. They were working with what little information they had, and it wasn’t like they had free reign of the school library or Ms. Cappriotti’s office. So, the bowling alley was the next best choice.

“What about a hellhound?”

Syd peeled her gaze from the book in her hand and glanced over at Stan.

“It’s not going after brains. And I think it can shapeshift, remember?”

“Right. Kelly Burk saw that weird dog thing and Mr. Brill got attacked by his wife?” Stan’s features scrunched a bit as he thought about Mr. Brill.

“Something that looked like his wife.” Syd corrected, turning her attention back to the book.

Stan nodded and flipped through a few more pages before stopping again. He walked towards the lanes, where Syd was sitting.

“Have you ever come across a shapeshifting demon before?” His voice dripped with excitement and curiosity. Syd wasn’t sure she would ever understand Stan. How could he look at this situation and be excited? Being a slayer was a curse. Though she’d be lying to herself if she said his optimism didn’t make her feel a little bit better.

“Not a demon that can shapeshift, no. Only one that could summon weird little helpers.”

“Oh, cool!”

“Yeah, I guess.”

They looked through some more books, bouncing the occasional idea off one another, but nothing seemed to make sense. Whatever it was that was going around killing people, it didn’t seem to reside within the pages they had. With that realization out of the way, Stan offered to give Syd a ride home. She smiled slightly, plucking her backpack off the ground. Stan was a better driver than Syd had anticipated.

Stan leaned over to the passenger’s side window once Syd had gotten out of the car and gave an emphatic wave.

“I’ll keep looking for our creature feature.”

Weirdo.

“Thanks.”

His smile widened and then he drove over to his house. Syd’s eyes tracked the car, but she walked up to her front door before waiting for him to park. Being a slayer didn’t feel quite so lonely.

“Sydney? Is that you?”

“No, I’m an axe murderer with a key.”

“Very funny. Can you come here for a minute?”

Shit.

Dragging her feet, Syd made her way to her mom. She didn’t feel like getting into an argument, but it felt like they always did. Especially since her dad had… Well, since he’d been gone.

She reached her mom and leaned against the doorframe, watching her fold the laundry. Her eyes tracked the articles of clothing, distracting her for a moment. Focusing back on her mom, Syd saw that she seemed impatient. But not angry.

“I need you to watch Liam tonight, ok? He hasn’t had dinner yet, so you’ll have to take care of that. I have to be back at the diner in about…” Maggie’s voice trailed off as she looked for a clock or her phone. “Oh, I have to be there in ten minutes. Shit.”

“Gotcha mom. Feed Goob, make sure he doesn’t die, don’t burn the house down. Is that it?”

Maggie paused for a second and nodded, sidetracked by her lack of time.

“Yeah, pretty much.” And with that, she was headed for the door.

Syd snatched a jar of peanut butter and a spoon from the kitchen before joining Liam on the couch. But before she could open the jar her phone vibrated in her jacket pocket. Taking a quick look at the screen, she saw that Dina had texted her. She wanted to hang out. Syd’s gaze switched to Liam and she silently cursed having to watch him for the night. She and Dina hadn’t spent much time together in a couple days and she… missed her.

Fuck it.

“Hey, Goob?”

Liam turned to her, waiting for whatever would come next.

“Would it be cool with you if Dina came over?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Ok, cool! Thanks,” she grinned at her little brother and sent a quick text back asking if Dina wanted to hang at her house.

A little more than a half hour later, there was a knock on the front door. Syd leapt up from her spot on the couch and let Dina in. A stupid grin took hold of her features as she watched Dina. Since Brad everything seemed out of whack but looking at Dina. Well, she was still Dina. She would always be Dina. And she would always be Syd’s favorite person.

“Liam! What are you working on?” Dina sat down next to him, leaning over to look at the papers he had spread across the coffee table. All sorts of colorful figures covered the pages and Liam stopped his work on them, smiling at Dina.

“It’s a suit. So, I can kick Richard Reynard’s ass.”

Dina let out a short laugh, looking over at Syd for her reaction.

“Wow Goob, that’s really good! But remember, I’ve got your back.”

“I know,” Liam picked up one of the pages. “This is just a backup plan.”

Syd reached forward and ruffled his hair. Another laugh bubbled out of Dina, giving way to more conversation and more laughter. Hours passed, just the three of them. And eventually, it was only the two of them. Dina left after a while and then it was just Syd.

-

“You didn’t find anything?” Syd’s question came out louder than she wanted.

Both, Ms. Cappriotti and Stan, shook their heads. Another form, another death. Another time Syd couldn’t save someone.

Whatever they were facing this time, it was good at staying abstract. None of their guesses matched and they needed to be faster. The body count was building. Syd’s stomach rolled over as she thought on it. There was an answer, they just had to find it.

Listening to them tossing around more ideas, Syd stood and left. She didn’t feel like waiting anymore. There had to be something she could do. The door to Ms. Cappriotti’s office clicked shut behind her and the sound of footsteps followed. A moment later, a hand landed on her shoulder. She turned to find Stan. Though it didn’t come as a surprise.

“We need your help with this. You can’t walk out right n-”

A loud crash cut Stan off. Syd whipped out a stake and placed herself in front of Stan. He wasn’t going to be the next victim.

The source of the crash came barreling down the hall in the form of a football player. Confusion coursed through Syd as the football player continued to run at them. She was about to hide her stake when she finally got a good look at the athlete’s face. He didn’t look particularly, well, alive.

Snapping out of the fog of confusion, Syd pulled Stan with her as she jumped out of the way. Catching a glimpse of the player’s jersey she saw the last name Barber printed across it. She twisted around to look at Stan, but that didn’t clear anything up for her. He was shaking like a leaf. Without wasting anymore time, Syd hurried to her feet. A stake probably wouldn’t cut it with whatever this guy was, but it couldn’t hurt to try. One last ditch effort.

“Stan, who the fuck is that?”

Shoes squeaked on the linoleum floors, he was on his way back.

“Stan!”

“He… he’s my dad…”

“What?”

“I mean, that’s not actually him. My dad is alive, but I have… nightmares about him. About Brownsville, too.”

“And he looks like that?”

“Yeah.”

“In your nightmares?”

He was fast approaching, rounding the corner. Back to them.

“In my- Wait!”

Syd took a second to look at Stan who was scrambling for his backpack. She saw him pull a book from it before she had to worry about his dad again.

He charged forward and she swiped out with her stake, missing completely. The football player ran right past her, inches from taking Syd with him. And when she turned back to him, he wasn’t Stan’s dad anymore. Whatever she was facing had turned into the cloaked figure from her nightmares.

“Holy shit! Who’s that?”

“I wish I knew. Did you find anything?”

“Oh, right! Remember when you said you’d gone up against demons that had helpers?”

“Yeah, but I don’t exactly have time for chit chat. So, if you could get to the point!”

Syd lunged forward, but instead of connecting with the figure, she went right through them. Falling to the ground, she heard Stan laugh in surprise.

“Yes! It’s some demon named… Nachtmaar! He takes your nightmares and makes them real but uses shadow puppets to do it. We need to find the actual demon.”

“Then how did those people die? If these things aren’t real.”

“He uses them to make his victims vulnerable. The fear practically freezes them.”

“So, he comes to them?”

“Yeah.”

Syd moved back over to Stan, sliding against the wall he was pressed against. The two of them watched the cloaked figure for a moment. Stan looked back down at the book he was holding, his eyebrows knit together in concentration.

“Looks like it’s pretty standard demon protocol other than that. You cut off his head. But, oh-”

“What is it?” A new wave of worry coursed through her.

“He’s a contract worker.”

“You mean, someone summoned this thing?”

Stan nodded and turned the book towards her. She looked over the passage on Nachtmaar and frowned.

“They just die when we kill him? Who would want to call upon a demon that has a self-destruct clause for the summoner?”

He shrugged, which quickly turned to a flinch.

“I think he found us.”

Syd’s head snapped up and she took in the hulking monster pounding toward them. Throwing herself over to her own backpack, she slid a large knife from inside. It was time to take care of this fucker. Whoever had summoned him was going to be the last victim.

The demon’s large frame filled her field of vision as the two began sparring. Syd landed a couple of punches to Nachtmaar’s chest, but he didn’t budge. He shoved Syd back with one hand, sending her stumbling. The cloaked figure approached from the side and even though she knew they couldn’t touch her, she flinched out of the way. Flashes of her nightmares played in her mind. She shook her head and tightened her grip on her knife. She had to focus.

Springing forward, Syd feigned left before darting to the right. She latched onto Nachtmaar’s back, climbing up and up and up. The head. She had to get to the head. He shook his body beneath her grip, but Syd kept going. She could feel his shoulders under her hands. So close. Raising the knife, Syd prepared herself for her next move.

“No! Wait!”

The voice caught her off-guard. It wasn’t Stan. In fact, it wasn’t familiar at all. She looked over Nachtmaar’s shoulder to see who had shouted and her eyes met that of a scared boy. He seemed to be about her age, maybe a year younger and her stomach dropped as realization hit. It was him. He was the one that had summoned Nachtmaar. He was the one who was about to die. Syd grimaced and broke their eye contact. She never wanted to be the slayer.

Nachtmaar shook his body again, this time dislodging Syd in the process. She slid across the ground, her back hitting the wall. But it didn’t slow her much.

“Please! There has to be another way,” tears were audible in the boy’s voice now.

Syd was about to ask what other way could there possibly be when Nachtmaar plucked her from the ground. Acting on instinct, Syd lashed out with her knife. And she made contact. His body fell slack, taking her with him. She landed on top of the demon as his body began to fade into shadows.

Once she was able to see past the darkness, Syd saw something she wished she didn’t have to. The boy. Collapsed on the school flooring. Dead.

Her face grew hot and Syd hurried to her feet, grabbing her backpack as she fled the school. Tears pricked her eyes. Being the slayer was a shitshow. Demons and vampires and world-ending circumstances. And she was stuck with it. Trapped.

“Syd!” Stan appeared a few feet off and Syd shifted on her feet. She could keep running, leave him behind.

But she waited.

“Are you ok?”

Syd blinked rapidly, fighting back the tears that had pooled in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it and settled on giving a curt nod.

“It wasn’t your fault.”

The anger.

Her voice returned to her. Eyes flashing with that anger that was always waiting for its moment to break out.

“How was it not my fault? I just killed him!”

“He summoned the demon. He knew what could happen. He killed people.”

Deep down, she knew Stan was right. But she couldn’t see past the image of the boy’s body on the linoleum. She would survive. She would live. He wouldn’t. And right now, she couldn’t deal with that. She was supposed to protect people, not kill them. It hadn’t been as difficult to think about when Stan first told her the consequences of killing Nachtmaar, but seeing the boy… Made it different.

“And I killed him! How do you not understand that?”

There was pity in Stan’s eyes. It was so clear to her. She couldn’t take it anymore. Syd shook her head and took off again. She’d be ok enough eventually, but she couldn’t deal with Stan and his pity.


	6. Dear Diary, Some Days are Just Alright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A slow day where maybe Syd doesn't have to worry about being the slayer

Dina draped an arm over Syd’s shoulders as they walked. Things felt better. Somewhere close to right. And Syd had been longing for that feeling ever since the events of the prior week. She needed a reminder that she could have normal moments. Maybe not a normal life, but normal moments. Dina helped make moments normal.

There hadn’t been any demons to worry about in a few days and the vampires were easy enough to take care of. So, Syd had time before she had to go on patrol.

Dina directed her towards the diner and once they arrived, they claimed an empty booth.

“You’ve been hanging out with that Stan guy, right?” Dina asked with a wide, conspiratorial smile.

“Yeah, uh, he’s pretty cool,” she replied, her stomach squirming just a bit. Syd and Stan were still talking, but things were somewhat tense between them. And she didn’t know exactly what to do to fix it. Every time she wanted to talk, her foot lodged itself in her mouth and she felt that anger again. Bubbling and hurt.

“And you two are…” Dina’s eyebrow quirked up and it hit Syd why she was asking about all of this.

“Oh! God no! We’re just friends,” A pause, a question that didn’t reach her words. “Like us.”

“Right, ok.”

“Seriously!”

Dina laughed and the tension of the moment melted away. But as Syd sat there watching her best friend, the laughter intermingled with her own words, ‘like us.’ Something felt wrong about that. Like she was lying to Dina. Like maybe she was even lying to herself.

Though Syd didn’t have the opportunity to follow the thought much further because Brad was sliding in next to Dina. Brad. Bradley Lewis was there with them and he was sitting with his arm wrapped around Dina. Something inside Syd curled up and she could feel herself frowning. They were supposed to be alone. She and Dina. Not some fucking dick like Bradley Lewis.

Boil. Anger. Boil.

“Hey, Dina,” A kiss. “and… Syd.”

“Yeah, you guessed it.” She bit back venom.

Dina smiled, her eyes passing between the two. It was great. The whole moment was positively spectacular. Syd pulled the milkshake over to her and took a sip. Fucking Fantastic.

-

Stan caught up to Syd on her way to her house. She wanted to get supplies and get out, but apparently her day was set on getting worse. First Brad and now having to worry about Stan. Couldn’t she have one good day where maybe she didn’t have to deal with vampires and hurt friends and Dina’s boyfriend. But here she was, dealing with all of those things.

“Syd, wait up!”

She stopped and looked back at Stan.

“Are you getting ready to go on patrol?”

“I am.” Short, simple.

“Good! Come with me to the football game.”

Syd’s eyebrows drew together. The football game?

“What?”

“I think we need to be at the football game. For patrol.”

Oh.

“Oh,” So, it was business? “You think the vampires are gonna be there?”

“Seems likely, doesn’t it? Lots of people and it’s passed sundown.”

“Fair point. Ok.”

“Perfect! Do you need any help grabbing stakes?”

“It’s really only a one-person job.”

Stan nodded and walked back off towards his house.

It didn’t take long to grab what she needed, and she met Stan outside, hopping into his car. They drove in conversational silence, Stan bobbing his head to the radio. She wanted to bridge the gap, wanted to be ok. And then it seemed to click, looking over at Stan’s face. Syd was the only one feeling the strain. Things were ok on his end. He kept talking to her and trying and acting like things were normal. And it hadn’t hit Syd before that maybe that was because things were normal to him. She swallowed the tightness in her throat and absorbed the moment. Her cheeks were hot, and the music was beating in her chest, but the world wasn’t ending. Her friendship hadn’t ended.

They parked at the school and made their way over to some more secluded bleachers, watching. Stan struck up a conversation about their classmates and their futures and the night dissolved into something resembling fun from there.

It wasn’t until a player on the field got tackled that their attention turned back to the game. The athlete wasn’t standing back up. Syd saw Dina run down from the bleachers and she realized it was Brad. A small satisfied feeling hummed through her as she watched the scene play out. It was his leg. Something had been sprained or twisted or broken. He would be fine. And Syd couldn’t help but smirk. Though the feeling soured when she looked back over at Dina beside him.

She and Stan didn’t stay much longer. His guess that something would happen at the game had turned out to be a bust. There wasn’t a reason to stick around.

A quick stop by the cemetery proved to be quiet as well. Apparently, it was a slow night. Which was kind of a relief. The day was far from being perfect, but it hadn’t been terrible either. And a night without slaying was something Syd would always be pleased by.

-

Back at her house, Syd collapsed onto her bed. Stan’s music was still playing in her head as she closed her eyes. Sleep didn’t come easily, but it eventually pulled itself over her. Those final chords echoed through her mind as her life turned to dreams. One dream in particular. One nightmare. The figure was back, shrouded in darkness and they were closer. They moved to bite her, meaning to kill her. But instead, they moved to stand behind her. And now she was facing someone else… Someone else entirely.

Syd opened her eyes and saw that she was still alone in her room. Slivers of light peaked through the gaps in her blinds and she climbed out of bed. It was already morning. How the fuck was it already morning?

Fog crowded back into her mind as she struggled to remember what had woken her. She could still feel her heart fluttering against her ribs. A dull terror clung to her mind as well. Whatever it was, she could hazard a guess it probably wouldn’t be coming back to her anytime soon. Another piece of her nightmares that slipped into the shadow. There were always so many questions. Well, at least she didn’t have to worry about school for a couple of days.


	7. Dear Diary, Why is Everything Haunted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A ghost has taken up residence in town

The vampire turned to dust in Syd’s hands and she frowned slightly. They still weren’t answering her questions. It was all still so vague. No idea as to who wanted her alive or why they would. Basically, all she had was ash and annoyances.

She would have to worry about it later though because the vampires seemed to be coming out less and less. The dust on her outfit had only been the second vampire she’d caught in as many days. Usually Syd had to contend with at least double that. But recently? The attacks had been pretty quiet and spread apart. Part of her was pleased with it, but another part of her was concerned about what it could all mean. Vampires going silent didn’t tend to trend in the positive.

Still, there wasn’t anything she could do about it at the moment. Home was calling and she needed to look after Liam.

-

“Did you know Erica Perry?” Ms. Cappriotti fidgeted with a newspaper as she talked.

“No, why?”

“She died over the weekend.”

“Vampire?”

Natural causes? A small part of her hoped.

“It doesn’t look like it, but it also doesn’t look like it was completely normal.”

Dammit.

“Then what does it look like?”

There were a wide range of options here, but the most likely was demon and Syd knew that. The inquiry was still required though.

“I believe we’re dealing with a poltergeist.”

“A ghost?”

Ms. Cappriotti nodded solemnly. She seemed about as pleased to share the news as Syd felt to receive it. Ghosts weren’t what she was used to. Demons and vampires she knew, but why would a ghost want to kill someone?

“How do you kill a ghost?”

“Well, you don’t kill it. You banish it.”

“Ok, how do you banish a ghost?”

“We’ll need a spell, which I should have in one of these books. And we’ll have to get some ingredients. Then it’s just a matter of performing the spell where the spirit exists.”

Syd nodded, taking in the information. A ghost. She felt sick.

“Do you want me to get the ingredients?” The voice sounded behind her and Syd realized she had forgotten that Stan was in the room with them.

It seemed Ms. Cappriotti had forgotten about his presence as well because she blinked and focused on him. Her eyes finally took him in, and she smiled softly.

“That would be very helpful! Thank you, Stanley.”

And that was that. They had to find a ghost and send it off before it had the chance to kill anyone else. Though Syd figured it would be pretty easy to find it, looking at the article in the newspaper. It stated, in simple terms, the location where Erica’s body had been found. The water tower in the woods around Brownsville. Her boyfriend had found her.

A ghost in the middle of nowhere. Sounded like fun.

-

Walking down the street, Stan pulled up beside her. He rolled his window down and smiled over at her.

“Hey.”

“Hey?”

“Want to come with me to get the ingredients?”

Syd shrugged and made her way to the other side of the car. Getting spell ingredients wasn’t what she did, but she didn’t have any other plans. Plus, it would probably be a quick in and out.

It was not.

Leaning against the wall, Syd tried not to look at some of the jars lining the shelves of the shop. She may deal with all manner of monsters, but she wasn’t particularly fond of all of the creatures stewing in formaldehyde. Stan darted from one area to the next, picking items off the shelves and then putting them back. He had a list clutched in one hand, but he didn’t give off the impression that he knew what he was searching for. A couple of jars clanked against each other in his basket as he moved again.

Finally, he walked over to the counter and set the basket down for the worker to go through. Syd joined him, staring down at the ground until she was standing next to him. They checked out and got back to business. The bag was heavier than she expected.

Ms. Cappriotti would be waiting for them back at the school. With the ingredients gathered and the spell deciphered, they just needed to perform everything.

The three rode in Ms. Cappriotti’s car to the water tower. Upon arrival, Ms. Cappriotti took the ingredients from Stan and carried them within a large metal bowl. She handed a simple map of the area to both Stan and Syd, marked with their respective positions. The sky shone in a range of sorbet, tinging the woods with warm light.

Syd trudged around the water tower to the spot marked on her map. The time ticked down, Ms. Cappriotti and Stan now fully positioned as well. She watched as they bent and picked up their candles, mimicking their movements. With all three candles lit, Ms. Cappriotti began on the spell. Her words echoed through the distance between them. The flames grew, shifting the shadows as they flickered. A strong gust of wind shook the branches and the leaves above and Syd could feel something. An addition to their ritual. And as Ms. Cappriotti lit a match using the candle’s flame, Stan screamed out in pain.

The candle in Syd’s hand blew out as she looked for Stan. He wasn’t where he had been moments prior and she could feel her heart fall to her stomach.

She broke from the circle they had created and took off into the trees, searching. Wherever he was, he couldn’t have gotten far. There had to be a way for her to save him. And whatever had taken him, was going to pay. She clambered over the leaves and twigs scattered along the ground. Another shout sounded from her right and Syd quickly course corrected. After what felt like too long, Syd spotted Stan by a tree in the near distance.

Her feet skidded to a halt and she jumped into further action, checking for a pulse. Stan’s eyes opened slowly at the contact. He was alive. And better yet, he was conscious. Syd helped him to his feet, supporting his weight, and helped carry him back to Ms. Cappriotti and the water tower.

“Was that the ghost?” Syd asked as she watched Ms. Cappriotti tend to the scrapes covering Stan’s arms and back.

“Yes, I’m pretty sure it was.”

“Ok, what do we do now?”

“We have to finish the spell.”

“What the fuck? How are we supposed to do that now that Stan’s out of commission?”

Stan looked between the two, “I can still do the spell.”

“No, you can’t. You’re way too vulnerable.”

Stan frowned at Syd’s words. He opened his mouth to continue, but was cut off, wincing at the sting of the balm being applied to his wounds instead. Once the pain had faded, Stan looked over at Syd again.

“I can do it. I just have to stand and hold a candle.”

Syd sighed and tugged on her sweater sleeve, but she didn’t say anything back. She knew they had to get the spell done and she knew that if they didn’t do it right then and there someone else would wind up dead. Letting Stan help meant they could finish it and be done with the spirit.

So, with little else to discuss, they took their stances once more and started from the top.

Ms. Cappriotti lit the match and threw it into the pot at her feet. As the ingredients within caught fire, Syd felt something scrape against her skin. A sharp pain rang through her body, starting at her arm. She let out a brief shout. But she didn’t move. She couldn’t risk disrupting the spell. The pain traveled up her arm to her shoulder and then it started on her other arm. She sucked in a breath through her teeth as Ms. Cappriotti wrapped up the spell. The three candles blew out all at once. And whatever had been digging into her arms vanished.

It was done.


	8. Dear Diary, I Wish That I Had Jessie's Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for a party

Apparently, scratches from a ghost healed slower than your typical run-of-the-mill cuts. Or at least that’s what Syd and Stan had found to be true. Even after a few days had passed, the shallow marks still hadn’t dissipated from either of them.

Sitting across from Dina, Syd couldn’t seem to stop rubbing her hands over the marks. The healing process was also an itchy one. So, her attention was divided between listening to Dina talk about how Brad was and trying not to accidentally reopen any of her cuts. Getting distracted by the scrapes on her arms, Syd forced herself to stop rubbing them. No matter her personal opinions on Brad, she had to be there for Dina.

“He’s still taking it easy right now. And we had been planning on going to Ricky’s birthday party together, but…” Dina trailed off as Syd perked up.

“Why don’t we go?”

“Together?”

Syd smiled softly.

“Ok, yeah! Let’s go together.” Dina said, smiling right back.

-

It had been a bit since Syd had been in Dina’s room. The two sat cross-legged, looking at one another. And they were going to a party. Together. It should have felt normal, ordinary. But to Syd it felt anything but.

Dina sifted through her makeup, picking things up and asking Syd whether or not she would wear it. Most of her answers were no, but she settled on cherry chapstick. It was the only thing she felt comfortable wearing and Syd had a feeling Dina wasn’t going to give up on putting makeup on her otherwise. Dina leaned forward, closing the distance between them and began to apply the chapstick. Syd’s cheeks warmed and she could feel something stir inside of her, something that was simultaneously familiar and unknown.

They pulled apart and Syd felt a resolve fall over her. She wasn’t supposed to say anything, but it was Dina. How could she continue keeping such a big secret from her favorite person?

“Can I tell you something?”

Dina looked at her with slight worry painted on her face. “Of course.”

“Things have been different lately. I’m different-”

“I know exactly what you mean.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. With dealing with school and everything. And I know I haven’t been all that present recently. But hey, it’ll all be ok and I’m still here.”

“Oh, right. Yeah. Me too.”

Her resolve faded into the periphery as she played with Dina’s words. They were both right there and the night would be a good one.

The two finished getting ready, Dina coaxing Syd into changing her outfit, and then they were on their way. It was already packed within the Berry household. Cliché red cups littered the flat surfaces as they walked through the house. Ricky Berry stood a small distance in front of them and Dina led the way to him. Syd followed closely, trying to get comfortable with her surroundings.

“Dina!” Ricky’s voice cut through to them.

“Hey Ricky! Happy birthday!”

“Thanks,” He turned to Syd. “Oh! And… Don’t tell me! I know this…”

Another brief moment passed, and Syd could feel the seconds ticking by.

“Syd.”

“Right! Syd.” Ricky smiled at Dina again and then made his way deeper into the party, leaving the encounter behind.

Dina took Syd’s hand and walked in the other direction. A few people danced idly around them and through it all, Syd spotted Stan sitting on a couch. She waved over at him, Dina catching sight an instant later. They joined him on the couch, Syd wedged in the middle. She bit her lip as she fully took in his blue suit, her eyebrows raised slightly.

“So, you’re Stan.” Dina said with a sly grin.

Stan smiled back and nodded.

“You and Syd have been spending a lot of time together. Trying to run off with my best friend?”

A light laugh bubbled out of Dina and Syd could feel her cheeks heating up. Stan shifted on the couch and let out a soft, slightly tense laugh. Dina started to speak again when a song came on and she stopped. She hopped up and looked down at Syd and Stan.

“I love this song!”

Syd smiled and got up. She turned back to Stan.

“Wanna come dance with us?”

Stan gave a small smile and shook his head in response.

Hands connecting them, Syd and Dina made their way over to where people were dancing. Syd shifted her weight from side to side, not particularly sure how to dance. She looked at Dina and saw her looking right back. It was mind-boggling how she was able to be so carefree, moving her body with confidence, hands still clasped with Syd’s.

The lyrics swam around them, coming in and out of focus as Syd got lost in Dina. ‘And she’s loving him with that body, I just know it.’ She felt normal, like anybody else at the party. ‘He’s holding her in his arms late, late at night.’ The world could have been falling apart around her, but she still would’ve been looking at Dina. ‘You know, I wish that I had Jessie’s girl.’ She was always looking at Dina. ‘I wish that I had Jessie’s girl.’ Her heart crawled up her throat and as it felt like it was about to tumble from her mouth, there was ~~Jessie.~~ There was Brad.

Dina looked at him in surprise, but a smile made its way onto her face in no time. “I thought you weren’t gonna be able to make it!”

Brad’s eyes flicked over Syd before settling on Dina.

“Yeah, well, I changed my mind last minute and figured I should come. But I need to go say hi to some other people, maybe go somewhere a little more quiet.”

“Ok, I just want to listen to this song and then I’ll join you.”

“Oh. I mean, I probably won’t be staying that long because of my leg, but that’s fine.” Brad’s jaw tensed as he spoke and then he walked off, back through the crowd of people.

Dina frowned and looked back at Syd apologetically. Then she hurried off in the direction Brad had gone.

Syd wandered aimlessly around the party for a bit, lonely. What made Brad so special? Why did he have to be such an ass? She was lost without Dina. It wasn’t like Syd spent a lot of time with the other partygoers and she had lost track of Stan. She was all alone. The minutes passed and Syd found herself in a random hall. Most of the rooms she checked had people in them and the last one had… Dina.

“Are you ok?”

Dina whirled around and smiled.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Syd waited and Dina shrugged.

“Brad left. I don’t know what I did.”

Fuck Brad. He didn’t deserve Dina. And she didn’t deserve shit like that. She deserved so much better. She deserved the sky and the moon and the stars and the kindest love a person could have.

Syd tried to comfort her the best she could and soon they were just talking. They looked up at the ceiling, lying on the bed. Eventually, the two turned over onto their sides, staring at each other. The conversation faded to background noise as the tips of Syd’s ears started to burn.

And before she knew what she was doing, before she could stop herself, Syd was kissing Dina. The moment froze and then it sped up to twice the speed it should’ve been as Dina pulled away.

Shit.

She choked out an apology, choked out a lie to follow it up, and then she ran. Syd had to get out of there. Everything was fucked. She was the reason everything was fucked. It was always her. Nothing about her could ever be normal. She could never be a normal teen and fall for a girl that liked her back. Instead she was the slayer and she was in love with her straight best friend. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Her feet felt like liquid below her as she sank into the ground. She was running again, always running. And Syd’s eyes burned and her lip quivered and she was holding everything back. Too much.

Good days just aren’t meant for girls like her. Girls with no future. Girls with too much anger. Girls that nobody cares about. It was foolish of her to think she could have one good day with Dina. One moment where she was like everybody else. But there were tears in her eyes, on her cheeks, in her mouth. And she wasn’t like everybody else. She never would be.

Syd didn’t bother taking her clothes off as she fell onto her bed. Tears traced their way across her features, leaving a foul saltiness in her mouth as she drifted off.

-

It was still night out, but she wasn’t at home anymore. No, Syd was lying on the ground of a… cave? Something underground, at the very least.

She had no idea where she was, but it felt like she’d been there before. Gravel and dirt moved beside her, and she looked up, her gaze meeting a figure, cloaked in darkness. They were waiting for her. And the second she noticed them, they reached down and lifted her by the throat. Syd’s breath hitched and she struggled to get more air into her lungs.

Kicking out, she found there was no use in struggling. They were going to kill her. But before they bit her, destroyed her completely, they set her back on the ground. Her feet planted firmly against the dirt, their hands gripping her shoulders. They led her forward, steering her in a single direction. Toward something.

And then she saw. Toward someone.

Dina stood before her now, tears coating her face. What was happening? Why were they there?

The figure slipped something solid into Syd’s hand, something she knew well. A stake. They guided her closer, a couple more steps to Dina. And she knew what she had to do. But she couldn’t. She could never.

And yet, she watched herself lift the stake and strike down with all her might. Aimed perfectly at Dina’s heart. She could feel the stake connect and her eyes flashed open.

Syd gasped for breath, tears streaking from her now open eyes. That was more than she usually saw. And she could remember Dina’s face. The fear. They were getting closer to whatever event was coming. She was getting closer to killing Dina.

-

Sunday passed by in a blur. Syd just wanted to see Dina and make sure she was ok. Explain that what had happened at the party was an accident. But Dina wasn’t answering any of her calls or texts. So, she had to wait for school the following day. It would be fine. She would talk to Dina and it would be fine. It had to be.

Westinghouse was even more imposing to Syd now that there was someone inside it that had been avoiding her for a whole day. She took a deep breath and braced herself for the events of the day.

Walking into her first class of the day, something was off. She glanced around the classroom, searching for Dina, but she wasn’t there. Class came and went still with no Dina to show for it. Syd went through her school day, waiting. First, she hadn’t responded to any of Syd’s messages and now she wasn’t at school. It was discomforting.

Syd was starting to worry more and more, but she tried to tell herself that Dina probably just didn’t feel good. Maybe she had gotten sick after the party or the whole thing with Brad was really getting to her. It was probably nothing. She would see her in a few days, and it would be like nothing had ever changed.

Except there was still a pit in her stomach, still a gnawing deep inside. Her dream flashed through her mind and she tried to shrug it off. Even though Syd wanted to believe Dina was safe, she didn’t. Things were happening and she had a sinking feeling that Dina was somehow being pulled into it. She had to find out who the vampires had been talking about. Otherwise, she was pretty sure everything was about to go to shit.


	9. Dear Diary, Bradley Lewis is My Own Personal Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dina isn't at school and Syd's starting to worry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im so seriously bummed that ianowt was cancelled,,, like it totally blows big time

Dina wasn’t at school the following day either. And Syd felt positively sick because of it. She couldn’t focus throughout her classes, wanting to be out patrolling instead. At least if she was on the lookout for vampires, maybe she’d be helping Dina. It was all falling apart at the seams.

One-by-one her classes came to an end and she was out of school in a flash. Screw sundown, she was going hunting.

Syd hurried to the cemetery, figuring there had to be some sign of a vampire hideout somewhere. There had to be. She wouldn’t give up until she found it. The graves were still in the sunlight and she knew she had some time before she had to worry about any slaying. Checking the mausoleums proved fruitless. A flash. Underground. She needed to find an opening that led down, down below the surface.

She pushed on, looking for any hint of vampires. Her search continued until the sun began to dip in the sky, painting it with flames. Whatever graves were inhabited by the undead would be opening up soon enough, allowing the entrance of distractions. If she was going to find Dina then and there, Syd had to work quickly.

But she wasn’t able to find any way to the vampires’ cave. And two foes had joined her under the now darkened sky.

Ducking low, Syd swiped out with her leg. She managed to trip one of the vampires in the process, rolling across the grass to stake them. They squirmed out of the way at the last second and she let a small curse slip past her lips. She only needed one of them alive. Or as close to being alive as they could get. And the sooner she could stake one, the better.

She jumped back to her feet and attacked the closest vampire, striking out with her fist. Landing a solid punch, Syd herded them towards a tree. They hit her across the face, and she winced but refused to give up. Moving closer, closer, they backed up too much. A look of surprise crossed their features as they glanced down at their chest. One of the lower branches from the tree stuck through and they quickly turned to dust. Syd didn’t waste any time in refocusing on the other vampire. There was one lead she had in finding the vampire nest and it was currently trying to get away from her.

The grass was slick beneath her sneakers, but she was able to catch up to the other vampire. They didn’t put up as much of a fight as they had before, giving in once Syd caught them.

“Where are you going?”

The vampire’s eyes darted to her hand and more importantly, her stake.

“Away from you!” They started struggling under her grasp, but it was futile. There was no way Syd was letting them escape. Not when Dina’s life was on the line.

“Wrong answer. Where should I go if I’m looking for a large number of vampires?”

“I don’t know! I just got here.”

Her plans were fizzling out. She had been hoping the vampire that had turned them had said something about where to go. Had said anything useful.

“You don’t know anything?”

They tried to throw her off of them again but failed.

“All I know is someone’s looking for you.”

“Who?”

The vampire frowned, looked at the stake in Syd’s hand again, and threw themselves forward. The stake plunged into them and Syd frowned.

“Fuck!”

-

The woods were dark, the trees blotting out the moon in the night. Syd didn’t remember going out there, but she was walking along the forest floor, nonetheless. Except she wasn’t alone. Someone was leading her way through the thick trunks. A few leaves shuffled beneath her feet and she lurched forward, almost falling over. She corrected herself and made sure not to lose sight of the person in front of her.

They reached a nondescript area of the woods, seemingly the same as everything around them. Yet, the person leading her stopped and turned to face her. Shadows obscured their face as they knelt to brush aside some leaves.

Thunder crackled overhead even though Syd hadn’t noticed anything denoting a storm. Another bout of thunder. A flash of lightning. The figure in front of her illuminated by the sudden light. 

Brad.

-

Syd’s dreams were sticking with her more and more. Floating through the school day, she kept her eyes peeled for Brad. He was still absent. Great. He got one twisted ankle, or whatever, and made it impossible for Syd to hunt him down in class. She would have to make a house call. Her stomach squirmed and she tried to think about the other aspects of her dream. All she could remember was his face and the woods around them. Nothing big to go off of.

Classes ended in a haze and Syd was about to make a break for it when her name blasted over the loudspeaker. Ms. Cappriotti.

She raced down the hall to Ms. Cappriotti’s office. Whatever it was, she was severely hoping it wouldn’t take long. Knocking once, Syd let herself in and plopped down in the seat across from Ms. Cappriotti’s. Thoughts of Brad’s face in the woods swam through her mind as she waited, waited. Sometimes it would really pay for Ms. Cappriotti to be prompt.

After a few minutes, the door opened again, and Ms. Cappriotti walked in. Finally.

“Sydney, something is happening,” her tone sounded more worried than normal.

Syd’s brow furrowed and she blinked a few times.

“What kind of something?”

“I don’t know exactly, but it isn’t good. There have been a few reports of odd circumstances all around town and I’ve noticed the vampires haven’t been quite as active. I think they’re planning something.”

Oh, that kind of something.

Syd nodded her head in concentration. She still needed to get to Brad, but the time was ticking down. The sun had already begun to set. Soon she wouldn’t be able to stop by his house, she’d have to be on patrol. But Ms. Cappriotti was still giving her instructions. Be safe. Stay vigilant. Everything she already knew.

Agreeing to everything, Syd was able to escape Ms. Cappriotti and make her way outside. It was dark out. Not pitch black, but dark. A shout pulled her from her thoughts, and she ran off in the direction it had come from.

She rounded a corner and snippets of a conversation came into focus.

“Join me! We can make this place ours. Forever.”

The sound of a struggle. She picked up her pace.

“I can always do it without you though.”

Whatever Syd had expected to see, it wasn’t the scene that greeted her. Ricky Berry was pressed against one wall of the school, flinching away from a vampire. And when the vampire turned to see who had interrupted the two, she saw it was Brad. Well, she wouldn’t need to stop by his house after all.

Drawing a stake from her jacket, Syd sprang forward. Furthering her surprise, Brad scowled and took off. What the fuck?

She made her way over to Ricky and checked him for a bite, but he was clean.

“Fucking shit! You just saved my life!”

“Yeah, I know. What was Brad talking about?”

Ricky froze for a second and then looked back at Syd with renewed shock.

“That thing was actually Brad?”

Syd nodded, watching him closely. It took a moment for him to realize she was still staring at him.

“Oh, right! Uh, he was talking about opening a door and needing… well, you. He was kind of vague and rambling. It was weird. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him like that before.”

“Opening a door?”

“Yeah, like I said though, kind of vague.”

Brad was the one all the vampires had been talking about. He had been the one wanting her alive. But he couldn’t have been a vampire that whole time. She had seen him in the sun less than a week ago. And whatever door he was planning on opening, Syd needed to keep it closed.

Syd walked Ricky home, making sure there wasn’t another attack from Brad. She gave him clear instructions not to let Brad enter the house and headed back towards her own. Calling Stan and Ms. Cappriotti were the first things on her to-do list. Hopefully they would be able to shed some more light on what door Brad was talking about. And then she could get to stopping him.

A new thought jostled its way to the front as she walked up to her front door. A thought Syd would have rather ignored. Brad was probably the reason Dina was missing. The only good thing about that, was that hopefully he needed her alive the same way he needed Syd alive.


	10. Dear Diary, Today I Fucked Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new big bad vamp has come to town

Ricky approached Syd as she arrived at school the following day. It seemed as though he had been waiting for her. She slowed to a stop outside of the door and looked across at him.

“Syd! I wanted to thank you again for yesterday.”

The bell rang overhead and Syd pushed the door open, holding it for Ricky. He slipped past her and she followed him inside. The two headed towards class, keeping a steady pace even after the second bell rang.

“It’s no problem, really.”

Ricky gazed at her in mild surprise.

“You kept me from dying and it’s no problem?”

“Well, yeah. It’s kinda my job.”

They paused at their first class of the day, Syd waiting for Ricky to say anything else he needed to get out. He stared blankly back at her for a moment and then sucked in a breath.

“Right. Uh, I was just gonna say that I want to help you find Brad. Stop him or whatever.”

“I don’t need more help.”

“But I owe you.”

“No, you don’t. Now, I’m going to class.”

Syd pushed open the door and slunk down into a seat towards the back. The teacher didn’t seem to register her late arrival, turning in time to catch Ricky instead. He stumbled over a lame excuse and the teacher frowned but didn’t send him to the office.

Throughout the rest of class, Syd could feel Ricky’s eyes on her every now and then. But she’d meant what she’d said. He didn’t owe her, and she didn’t need more help. Not when more help could lead to his death. After what had happened with Stan and the ghost, there was no way Syd was letting another regular person get involved. It was on her head if any of them got hurt and she already had to worry about finding Dina.

In the middle of her third class of the day, she was called to Ms. Cappriotti’s office. It was weird. Ms. Cappriotti usually waited until the end of school to call her in.

She hurried down the hall, catching sight of Stan a few paces ahead of her.

“Do you know what’s going on?” Syd asked after she caught up to him.

Stan kept walking, shrugging his shoulders as he did.

“I’m pretty sure I know as much as you.”

“Oh, uh, actually…”

He finally paused and looked at Syd, a question written across his face.

“Brad’s a vampire.”

“Oh, shit.”

“And Dina’s missing…”

“Oh. Fuck.”

Syd broke eye contact, staring down at the floor.

“Was it Brad?”

“I think so.”

“What are we going to do?”

“I’m going to find her and kill him. But you’re not coming with me. And neither is Ricky.”

“Ricky?”

“Yeah, he’s been wanting to help since I saved him from Brad.”

“Ok, so I really missed out on a lot. Also, I’m going to help you no matter what.”

“You can help with finding them and that’s it. You’re not fighting.”

Stan looked like he was about to say something, but figured it wasn’t worth it. They made their way into Ms. Cappriotti’s office and waited for whatever news she had for them.

Apparently, the news was that there was a big bad brewing in the distance, which Syd knew about. And there was a friendly new visitor in the form of another vampire, which Syd hadn’t known about at all. Some strong brute that had recently arrived in Brownsville, most likely because of Brad’s plans. The three settled on their typical plans, Syd would patrol and Ms. Cappriotti and Stan would do research on whoever they were dealing with.

The two made their way back to class and Syd tried her best to concentrate. It didn’t take long for the day to turn to night. She was ready.

Syd worked her way through the cemetery and the darkened parts of Brownsville first, but she didn’t come across anything of note. Eventually, she stumbled upon a hulking figure and Syd didn’t waste any time in readying a stake. The figure noticed her, and it was then that she saw the person slumped on the ground in front of them.

The anger. Boiling.

Running at her, the vampire made the first move. He jumped and tried to take her down, but Syd was able to get out of the way. The two rounded on each other, caught in a bit of a standstill. The vampire grimaced and eyed the stake in her hand. But he didn’t look scared. He looked… excited?

She backed up as they drew nearer, not quite certain what her next move should have been. Startled, Syd realized she was backed against the wall of a building. She was trapped.

The vampire smirked and cornered her further. He bent forward, ready to bite her. Someone seemed to have missed the memo about leaving her alive. Or he just didn’t care enough about the plans to abide by the rules. His mouth was inches from her neck, Syd’s arms pinned against the wall. She wouldn’t be able to save Dina. She couldn’t even save herself.

At the last second, something bounced off the vampire’s head and he whipped his head back to see what it was. Looking over his shoulder, Syd was able to see Ricky standing at the entrance to the alley. Part of her sagged in relief as the vampire pulled away from her, but the majority of her was coursing with nervous energy. Ricky was a fucking dumbass. A fucking dumbass that had maybe just saved her life, but a fucking dumbass, nonetheless.

Syd seized the opportunity Ricky had provided her, approaching the vampire from behind. She launched herself onto his back and he started bucking wildly. Her hands grappled for a solid grip, but she couldn’t find one. Landing on her side, Syd sprang up again. There was no way this guy was killing another person.

Ricky backed up, but Syd was already making her way in front of him. She pushed forward and made to stake the vampire, but he evaded her. This felt different. This felt dangerous.

The moment presented itself and Syd jumped, kicking out. Landing on her back, she saw that the vampire had fallen as well. He stayed where he was, seemingly unconscious. It was weird. A vampire of his stature and strength shouldn’t have been knocked out by that. Syd made her way closer, watching him with caution. But he didn’t move. She knelt beside him and rammed the stake into his heart, not waiting for a rematch. He turned to dust as she turned to Ricky.

“Are you ok?”

He nodded shakily, eyes trained on the ground where the vampire had just been.

“What the fuck were you thinking? You could have died!”

“I saw you walking, and I wanted to… I wanted to see if I could help…”

“Well, you did. Thank you,” she felt that squirming anger in her chest again. It was mixed with worry. “But don’t do it again.”

Ricky nodded once more, finally looking at her.

“I’ll walk you home, ok?”

“Thanks.”

“Of course.”

Syd made sure Ricky was safely inside before going back on patrol for a couple more hours. While she was searching for any more vampires, her phone rang. She pulled it out of her jacket, a slip of paper falling to the ground as she did. Bending down, Syd plucked it off the asphalt and read. It was an address. Or more precisely, it was coordinates. And she was pretty sure where they led.

“Hello?” Her mouth felt dry as she answered Ms. Cappriotti’s call.

“Syd, good! Don’t kill the new vampire!”

“What? Why not?”

Her pulse picked up as she looked in the direction of the alley she had been in earlier.

“He’s a seal.”

“I don’t understand.”

“His death is one of three needed for a very intricate and extremely dangerous ritual.”

“I sort of already staked him.”

“Oh no.”

The line went silent. Shuffling and then, “Come to my house as soon as you can. Don’t go home. Your family won’t be safe if you’re there.”


	11. Dear Diary, Everything is On Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ms. Cappriotti explains some things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm thinking of maybe posting the rest of the chapters a little closer together, but i'm still undecided... so yeah

Ms. Cappriotti’s house was almost exactly what Syd would have imagined if she had given it the thought. There were warm colors and knit blankets thrown over every seat. It looked like a cliché grandmother’s house. What she hadn’t expected was the fact that there were two more people than she and Ms. Cappriotti present. Stan and Ricky.

Syd pulled Ms. Cappriotti off to the side a bit and glanced over at the two on the couch. They seemed to be deep in a conversation of their own, distracted. Happy?

“What are they doing here? Isn’t this dangerous for them?”

Ms. Cappriotti frowned slightly and watched Syd closely. “They’re already a part of this, it was going to be dangerous, nonetheless. You’re all here so it isn’t dangerous for anyone else.”

“But-”

“Syd, you can’t change their involvement now. We just have to get through this.”

Syd nodded begrudgingly and moved to sit by the others.

Ms. Cappriotti took her position in front of them. She plucked an open book off her coffee table and began to read aloud.

“There will come a beast that is known to the slayer but is not a friend. They will amass a following that will contain the first seal. The first seal is to be a beast not unlike the one it follows, but it will have heightened power and a desire to give itself over for the cause.”

“Hold on- That’s the guy that attacked Syd and I?” Ricky looked between Ms. Cappriotti and Syd, waiting for an answer.

Ms. Cappriotti gave a soft nod and focused back on the book in her hands.

“The second seal will be a mortal, completely unmarred by demonic abilities. The slayer will yearn to save them but will instead be the mortal’s death. With the death, the beast’s plans will come one step closer to being fulfilled.”

Syd tugged at her sweater’s sleeves, trying not to dwell on Ms. Cappriotti’s words. She knew who the mortal was. She’d dreamt of the mortal’s death. Of Dina’s death. By her hands.

No. There was no way she was going to kill Dina.

The anger. The anger. And something. Fear. So much fear hidden beneath the anger. Simmer, simmer, Syd. Simmer below the surface. Dina would need her anger.

“The third, and final, seal…” Ms. Cappriotti paused, and Syd snapped out of her daze.

Syd’s brows knit together as Ms. Cappriotti composed herself. Ricky and Stan shifted beside her, all of them suddenly even more uncomfortable.

“The third, and final, seal will be the only one capable of defeating the beast. The slayer will die for the beast’s plans to come to fruition. She is the last seal keeping the gates of hell shut and allowing the world to continue on as it is. If she is to fall after the two other seals, the beast will win and drown the world in constant night. Demons will roam free and everything good will meet its end.”

The fear broke through the anger, drenching it in layers of worry. Syd sprang up and before any of the others could stop her, she rushed out. Once more she found herself running. Deep down she knew she would have to go back, and soon, but the rest of her didn’t want to die. So, instead, she ran some more.

Her heart pounded against her ribs and she scoured the streets for anything to distract her. There weren’t any vampires out though. Not that it could actually pull her from her thoughts if there were some. And she didn’t want to be the slayer at the moment. She wanted to be Syd. She wanted to say something to her mom. Something to Liam.

The weight of the world pulled Syd down to her knees and she let herself curl inwards. Tears streaked down her cheeks. Footsteps caught her attention, but she couldn’t bring herself to pay attention to her surroundings.

A hand landed lightly on her shoulder and Syd eventually forced her eyes to meet Stan’s.

He smiled comfortingly down at her, but there was fear coating his expression too. They both knew it was only a matter of time until she died, or the apocalypse failed. Stan sat down on the ground beside her, silently waiting.

It took Syd a moment, but she started to talk.

“What if I fuck everything up more than I already have?”

“Syd. You haven’t fucked anything up. You’re the reason any of us are still alive. Without you, Brad would’ve killed Ricky and any number of things would have killed me.” A small laugh slipped passed his lips as he talked and somehow that small sound pulled a little bit of the weight off her shoulders.

“You wouldn’t have been in trouble if you hadn’t been helping me. And Dina…”

Stan frowned, looking at the ground.

“God, Dina would have never been taken if it weren’t for me.” Tears choked her words.

“We live on a hellmouth, Syd. I was always going to be in trouble. As for Dina? There was always going to be a mortal important to the slayer in danger. But you can save her. I know you can save her, and everyone else. Ricky and I will see that through.”

Syd’s eyes snapped to his.

“No. You two aren’t going to be there. This is my fight. I’ll go in alone and I’ll either come out with Dina or I won’t come out at all. But, you two stay up here. Because if I win, I need all of you to live through this.”

“Syd-”

“You two aren’t coming. I’m not going to budge.”

Stan bit back his words and simply nodded instead.

The two stood and headed back to Ms. Cappriotti’s. As they got closer, Syd could make out Ricky sitting on Ms. Cappriotti’s front porch steps. He looked nearly as concerned as Stan had when he had found her, but she couldn’t seem to wrap her mind around it. Why did they care so much?

She shook herself out of her thoughts and walked up the steps, back into Ms. Cappriotti’s. The four of them gathered in the living room once more. Syd took her place in front of the rest of them and let her gaze settle on each, one by one. She sucked a shaky breath through her teeth and steadied her stance. It was time. It was the beginning of the end.

“Well, I guess we have an open invitation to the apocalypse.”


	12. Dear Diary, the End of the World Looks Obnoxiously Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to go down, down, down, to the end of the road

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha,, so i realize i said i would maybe post the chapters closer together and then this one ended up being late,,, sorry about that. i'm gonna post two today tho,, so that's something :)

Ricky handed Syd a crossbow as she worked on packing a duffel bag full of weapons. The four of them had kicked into high gear to get ready for the upcoming apocalypse. Syd might have been the only one going down to face Brad, but they all needed to prepare. She offered a small smile and fit the crossbow in on top before closing the bag.

Turning to gather a few more things, Syd nearly walked into Stan. He tried to wipe the worry off his face, but Syd caught sight of it. Her stomach twisted and she wanted to look away. The two stood like that for a moment, eyes stuck on one another, wondering if either would be alive by morning.

Stan pulled himself out of the moment first, raising his hands. When Syd looked, she saw that he was holding a few small jars filled with different ingredients. She raised her eyes back to his, questions cluttering her expression.

“You just throw them at the ground, and it should simulate a small patch of sunlight. It’s not much, but at the very least, it could be distracting.”

“Oh. Thanks.”

Taking the jars from his hands, Syd placed them gently on the table next to her bag and then made her way to the other side of the room. Stan touched her arm as she passed by and she spared him one more glance. The worry had taken up residence on his face once again. Her feet propelled her forward and Syd pulled Stan into a brief, tight hug. It lasted only a moment, but it was enough. The storm in her body settled ever-so-slightly and she could feel tears in her eyes.

Getting back to preparations, Syd wiped her face with the end of her sleeve. She took a deep breath and glanced around at the three others. They were all wrapped up in their own tasks, trying to save the world in their own little ways. A shiver ran down her spine and Syd finished gathering supplies.

It didn’t take much longer for them to get things together. Syd stood by Ms. Cappriotti’s front door, wishing more than anything that she didn’t have to go prevent an apocalypse.   
Ms. Cappriotti had excused herself already, but the other three could still hear her sniffles coming from the kitchen every now and then. Ricky gave Syd a light pat on the arm, aiming for reassuring but coming off more consoling. She laughed slightly despite herself. Stan offered two thumbs up and then it was officially time to go. Syd stared at the door, hesitating before she eventually opened it.

Stepping out into the world, everything felt simultaneously more real and not real at all. She was responsible for whether Brownsville existed tomorrow. And somehow, it was still just a normal night outside. The streets were quiet, and she couldn’t really see anyone, but she knew that there was life all around her. Life that depended on her.

She shook out her body and forced herself to move forward. Her destination called to her out in the distance. A destination that Brad himself had led her to once upon a dream.

Leaves crunched beneath her feet as she made her way through the forest. It looked the same as when she had been there with Stan and Ms. Cappriotti. And it looked the same as when Brad had led her, minus the thunderstorm. Syd remembered the basic direction, but she still wasn’t absolutely certain what she was looking for.

Light from her flashlight bounced off her surroundings and something in her gut tugged. She paused, searching the area around her for another person or anything. But nothing was there. Still, the feeling of eyes on the back of her neck prevailed as she started moving again. It returned a few moments later and as Syd began to look for anyone, her foot hit a more solid patch of ground.

Syd bent down, brushing leaves out of the way. Moving the leaves revealed a hatch in the ground. A hatch in the middle of the forest. Leading down. Leading to the end.

Wiping the dirt from her hands on her clothes, Syd pulled the hatch open and aimed her flashlight into it. The light did little to nothing to show her what was hidden inside. She sighed and pulled a stake from her bag.

“Here goes nothing.”

Without a second glance, Syd dropped into the opening. Once she was able to look around, she found that she had landed in a dirt tunnel. It led her in a singular direction. 

Forward.

Her grip on the stake tightened and she pushed on. There was only one way this was going to go, with her following the tunnel to its end. Dina was waiting for her at the end. The world was waiting for her at the end.

Everything looked monotonous as she forged onward. The walls were dirt and so were the ceiling and floor. It felt suffocating. Like an early grave.

One thing that stuck out to Syd was that the tunnel was completely empty. She couldn’t see anybody in front of, or behind, her. As far as she was concerned, she was all alone. It didn’t make sense. But then again, she was the one that they needed to open the last two seals. Maybe they were waiting. Anticipating the moment where she was supposed to kill Dina. Eagerly awaiting her death. 

Simmer. Simmer. All that anger and fear. Simmering. It felt nearly indescribable. Something more than heat and yet, it wasn’t controlling her. Or at least it hadn’t taken control of her yet. It was waiting. Waiting for its chance to boil over.

Her flashlight’s beam spread out in front of her, but she could see a small slip of light towards the end. It seemed like someone was home after all.

What Syd wasn’t aware of were the two sets of footsteps following her. All she could hear was her own heartbeat and the heartbeats of everyone relying on her. Everything else was being drowned out. Soon though, soon she would hear it all. Hear her enemies. Hear her friends. Hear Dina. Hear the fate of the world. But for the time being the only sounds that existed were those clamoring heartbeats.


	13. Dear Diary, No One Ever Prepares You for the Apocalypse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Syd keeps going, but the question remains: does she have company?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok, so the next chapter is the last of the proper timeline and then there's a small epilogue

The literal light at the end of the tunnel was getting closer with every step, causing the cauldron of worry in Syd’s chest to deepen. Dirt shifted beneath her feet and she focused on it for a moment. It was better than thinking about Dina. And she couldn’t seem to get her mind off of her. More and more it hit Syd that even if she managed to save the world, that didn’t guarantee she would be able to save Dina. So, she stared at the dirt and then pushed on.

Syd slipped her flashlight back into her bag and switched the stake to her other hand. She grasped the handle to the door the light was spilling out from. Opening it a crack, she peered inside. Empty? It sure didn’t look like anybody was waiting for her.

She hurried in, making sure to keep her guard up. Everything was so quiet. So still. And as she had thought upon first glance, it was empty. The only things in the room were a simple table and chairs.

It didn’t seem like the kind of place where an apocalypse would take its roots. But she knew somewhere down in the tunnel that was exactly what was happening. Appearances could just be highly deceiving. She searched for any items that might have been left behind by accident, any sort of hint as to where everyone was, but there really wasn’t anything to find.

Pressing on, Syd caught sight of another door in the side wall. She made her way through and into the next part of the tunnels. It looked almost identical to the tunnel she had gone through only moments before, except for one big difference. This tunnel didn’t lead to a closed door. It led straight to a wide pit.

Hanging over the side of the pit was a ladder. The pit itself was too dark to see the bottom, even with a flashlight, but there was no other choice.

She made sure her grip on the rungs was firm and found her way down, down into the pit.

And finally, she knew where everyone had gone. A number of vampires were posted outside a door at the bottom of the pit, just waiting. For her. They had been waiting the entire time. The first one noticed her and shouted out to the others before running at Syd.

The stake in her hand seemed weak all of a sudden, like a twig. Syd opened her bag and pulled out the loaded crossbow without a second thought, aiming it at the first vampire. 

She fired and hit her mark. The vamp dusted, but the others didn’t pause. Working quickly, Syd loaded a second arrow and aimed again. The arrow plunged into the vampire’s stomach.

“Fuck!” she fumbled with another arrow, but they were getting too close. She knew she didn’t have the time to worry about loading it up.

Syd dropped the crossbow and pulled her stake back out. The vampire with the arrow lodged in its gut got to her first, but Syd saw her opportunity. She yanked the arrow out and as the vampire winced, she jammed it into the vamp’s heart.

Three more descended on her as the dust floated down. She kicked out at one of them, knocking the vampire back. Another one grabbed onto her shoulders as she staked the other one attacking her from the front. Her feet fell out from under her as the vampire pulled her backwards. The one she had kicked back was getting back up and Syd knew she had to move quickly. She twisted against the grip on her shoulders and jerked away. Pushing herself up, Syd landed a solid kick to the first vampire’s knee, sending them down again. She straddled them and stabbed right through their heart before turning her attention back to the final vampire.

Syd took a deep breath and charged at them, not waiting another second for them to gain the advantage. Her stake found its way into their heart and she coughed lightly on the dust.

Getting a grip on herself, Syd looked over at the door. Whatever was waiting beyond it would mean life or death. Killing a few vampire lackeys was one thing, but Brad… It wasn’t a huge burden, but it was weird thinking about how he had just been a douche, a very human douche. And now… Well, now he was a world-ending beast. If he succeeded.

“SYD!”

Heart pounding, Syd whipped around and stared up at the ladder. She couldn’t make out a figure, but the voice had come from behind her. The voice. Sneakers came into view, followed closely by a body.

“Ricky? What the fuck are you doing? I told you not to follow me!”

Ricky climbed down as quickly as he could, landing a little shakily in front of her. When he turned to face her, Syd saw how wide his eyes were. His breaths came out in short huffs and he was blinking rapidly.

“What happened?” Syd found herself looking back up at the ladder, wondering if someone was chasing after him. Or if he had come with company.

“Stan…”

She focused on Ricky again. Simmer.

“Stan?”

“We followed you down into the tunnel, but… There were vampires that had been following you, too. We didn’t know. Stan, he thought you needed help and I didn’t want him to go alone. They just attacked us. They took him. They took Stan. And they knocked me out. Syd…”

“Ok… ok…”

Her own breaths started to quicken, and Syd looked around the pit. Nothing was coming to her. Did this change anything? She still had to save Dina. Save the world. She just had to save Stan too. It was fine. It had to be fine. She could do this. She could do this. Simmer. Simmer. Simmer.

She nodded briskly and trained her gaze on Ricky.

“We can do this together. Get both of them. It’ll be ok.” Her words reverberated in her head.

Pulling her bag in front of her, Syd grabbed a stake and an axe for Ricky. He took them with a modicum of hesitation, but once he was holding them his posture straightened out. 

They both knew what happened next. They both knew that either they were all about to die. Or. Or they were all about to live. And Bradley fucking Lewis was going to pay for what he had done to them. He was going to pay for his apocalypse, whether he wanted to or not.

Syd and Ricky walked over to the door and Syd yanked it open. The time for hesitation had passed.


	14. Dear Diary, I am the Apocalypse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is where the line is drawn

They were greeted by the sight of a row of vampires waiting just inside the room. Due to her stature, Syd couldn’t see much of their surroundings passed the vamps, but she could see Ricky blanche. He went still beside her, too still. And that was when the vampires turned away from them and parted to let the two through.

What waited for them on the other side, what Ricky had already caught a glimpse of, was Brad standing by a wall with two people chained up. Dina’s eyes were closed, but Stan was fully awake and aware of the situation he was in. His expression softened for a moment when he saw Syd and Ricky, but it didn’t last long. Something soured in what hope he had, and his gaze shifted to the ground. Brad grinned at Syd, not paying much attention to Ricky. He knew who his focus was. And he knew he had her right where he wanted her.

Syd held herself back, fighting every urge she had to run at Brad. If she wanted to save Dina and Stan, she needed to think things through. At least for a while.

“Y’know, I was starting to wonder if you would be able to find me. I mean, clearly being the slayer doesn’t guarantee you get brains to go along with that brawn.” Brad’s voice bounced off the walls, hitting Syd each time.

“I could say the same for you. But I don’t know that I want to do a lot of talking.” Syd’s eyes flickered with the anger that simmered beneath the surface.

Brad nodded and shrugged. “We don’t have to talk, you just have to help me out with one little thing. Well, two actually.”

The vampires that had been watching the exchange began to close in on Syd and Ricky. Syd made sure Ricky was still holding the weapons she’d given him and once she was certain he was, she threw herself into the fight. The two of them went up against the numerous vampires, Syd managing to stake two at once while Ricky happened to slice cleanly through one’s neck.

Another vamp started to come for Ricky, and he struck at them, but he didn’t hit where he needed to. Syd saw the moment play out and abandoned her own fight to get the vampire before they could get Ricky.

A handful of vampires remained, but Syd knew she couldn’t keep on fighting them. She had to finish this whole thing. She found her way over to Ricky, taking out another vampire on her way.

“Do you think you can hold them off? For now.”

Ricky nodded, not taking his eyes off the vamps left around him.

Syd maneuvered through the group and made her way over to Brad. He saw her coming but didn’t move. He wasn’t worried in the slightest. They were both well aware that this was what they both needed to do. The only unknown variable was who was stronger.

Stake in hand, Syd stalked closer. Brad took a moment, glancing at Stan and Dina before he approached Syd. He didn’t wait a single moment, sending her flying backwards with a swift hit. Syd landed on the ground, skidding to a stop before she connected with the tunnel wall. She pushed herself back up as Brad walked over to her. Shaking off the hit, Syd lashed out at him with her stake. She landed a blow, just not the right one as he turned so her stake stuck in his side. Brad moved out of her grasp quickly, taking her stake with him.

Breaking away, she hurried over to her bag to grab a new weapon. Brad didn’t wait for Syd to get to it though. He grabbed onto her and pulled her back towards him. Syd flipped over, kicking him over and over in the gut until he loosened his grip enough for her to get free.

She took the moment and made her way to her bag, snatching another stake and a large dagger from within. Returning to Brad, Syd elbowed him in the face and aimed her stake. She plunged down, but he stopped her arm’s momentum and threw her off of him. Brad held her down and tried to pry the dagger from her hand. The two grappled for a moment, but Syd was able to get out from beneath him with both of her weapons still in her possession.

Turning to survey the events around her, she noticed two things. Ricky was still fighting and still surviving, having just taken out another vampire. And Dina had woken up. The two stared at each other for a moment and Dina began struggling against her bindings.

Simmer. Simmer. There it went. All that anger. All that hurt. All that fear. Finally boiling over.

Syd rounded on Brad, done being the eternal punching bag for vampires and demons and whatever else came to town. Her next few actions passed in what felt like seconds. She kicked Brad to the ground, landing on top of him. She didn’t stay on him for long. Brad knocked her off balance and the two started grappling for control of the situation.

Her stake fell out of her hand, rolling just out of reach. Working only with her dagger, Syd tried to place it between she and Brad. However, he had other plans because while the stake may have been out of Syd’s reach, it wasn’t out of Brad’s.

A sharp pinch in her side distracted Syd from her own movements. Brad had the tip of the stake pressed against her and all Syd could do was react. She struck out at the stake, hitting his arm away from her. The stake flew out of his grip and that was when she realized how much force she had used. Because Stan filled her senses as she watched the stake find its place in him. A scream poured out of her and then another sound filtered through. Brad’s laughter.

Eyes ablaze, she looked up at him.

“I guess that’s the second seal dealt with, right Sy-?” Brad’s voice cut off in the middle of her name as his head disconnected from his body and he turned to dust.

Not taking the time to deal with the dust coating her, Syd rushed over to Stan and Dina. Ricky joined her shortly and when she risked a glance over her shoulder, she saw the rest of the vamps were gone.

“They left when Brad died. Again.” Ricky said, helping free Stan as Syd got Dina.

Dina smiled softly at Syd and if it had been any other moment, Syd would have melted. But she needed to focus. The apocalypse was a no go, but Stan was still hurt.

-

Syd stared at the vending machine in front of her, willing the snacks to fall. They didn’t want to budge though, so she gave them a little bit of a helping hand.

Returning to Ricky and Dina, she let Dina take first pick of the smorgasbord. The three sat in near silence, save the sound of wrappers, as they waited for some sort of news.

“Thank you,” Dina lowered her voice as she spoke.

“It’s not a big deal, just had to shake the machine a little but it came out easy enough.”

“No, dummy. Thanks for getting me out of… there,” she gestured downward, and Syd blinked.

“You really don’t need to thank me for that at all. You wouldn’t have been down there if it wasn’t for me.”

Dina rested a hand on Syd’s leg, offering up another smile. They sat there for a moment, looking at each other. The moment passed when Ricky straightened in his seat, the doctor finally coming into view.

There came the news. Stan was ok. Hurt, but ok. None of his major organs had sustained damage and he would be on the mend soon enough.

A flood of emotions crashed over Syd, pulling her beneath the waves. She had done it. Averted her first apocalypse. And she hadn’t lost anyone in the process. Not Ricky. Not Dina. Not Stan. Not her family. The world was going to continue to turn. And they all got to stick around and see it spin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok! so, that's the official last chapter!! hope you enjoyed this and i hope the epilogue is a nice little ending for this whole thing !! thank you for reading!! :)


	15. Dear Syd, You are Something to Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, a dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's the short epilogue!! i had to include something about the homecoming dance,, like i physically couldn't not include that

Dina looked herself over in the mirror, giving her reflection a quick twirl. Satisfied with the result, she headed downstairs and out to her car.

Lyrics swam through her head as she drove, bobbing her head in time to the beat. Syd’s house came into view and she slowed to a stop. Her breath caught in her throat and she took a moment to think about what the night meant. What everything meant.

Liam opened the door and she couldn’t help but smile at him playing the protective brother card. A pint-sized guardian for Syd, who was also practically pint-sized. Though Dina’s thoughts fled her mind as Syd came down the stairs. The two grinned at each other and somehow it felt like they were just normal, everyday girls on their way to a homecoming dance. But she knew they weren’t normal. That Syd wasn’t normal. And her grin widened.

The decorations in the gym looked better than Dina had expected, but she found her gaze was continuously drawn to Syd.

Syd waved and Dina followed the direction to see Stan and Ricky off to the side. They went to join them and everything else clicked into place. The four stuck together for most of the night, dancing with each other during faster songs and sitting at the same table.

It wasn’t until a slow song started up that they separated for a bit. Stan and Ricky left the table first, going off to sway softly along to the song.

Dina looked over at Syd and stood, offering her hand. “Could I have this dance?”

Syd stared up at her for a moment before nodding.

The two found their way into the crowd of couples. Dina set her arms on Syd’s shoulders, locking her fingers together. They moved slowly for a bit before Dina finally spoke up.

“We never really talked about that night at Ricky’s.”

Syd opened her mouth and closed it again, thinking.

“Oh, yeah… I’m sorry about that.”

“No, don’t apologize. I was just-” Dina paused and started up again. “I was wondering what that kiss was about.”

Shifting her gaze from Dina’s, Syd clearly seemed to be at a loss for words. So, Dina pushed on.

“I just wasn’t expecting it.”

“Yeah… Sorry.”

“Well, it’s just ever since it happened, I- I’ve been thinking… I didn’t not like it. So, you know.”

They stared at each other, a moment passing.

“Oh, ok, so…” Syd trailed off, not saying much as a smile started to play on her lips.

“So…” Dina shrugged, shaking her head a little as they stood there.

Syd inched closer and Dina followed suit, their lips meeting in a sweet kiss. This close to her, Dina realized Syd smelled like strawberries. It filled her mind up as they kissed. 

Everything else faded into the distance and it was a new moment, one just for them. Dina smiled against Syd’s lips and they finally pulled away from each other. Laughter bubbled out of both of them and they continued swaying to the music even as it turned to a fast song.

School dances always seemed so cheesy for advertising “a night to remember,” but Dina knew in that moment that it was a night she wanted to hold onto forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's it!! thank you again so much for reading all of this !! i hope you enjoyed and have a wonderful day <3

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! hope you have a great day and stay safe out there!! :)


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